System for validating mail by postal certification



D. MERCUR Dec. 7, 1965 SYSTEM FOR VALIDATING MAIL BY POSTALCERTIFICATION Filed Aug. 15, 1965 INVENTOR. 040m lam/um 3,221,980 SYSTEMFGR VALIDATING MAIL BY POSTAL CERTIFICATION Dave Mercur, 164 MaryalDrive, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed Aug. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 301,708 2 Claims.(Cl. 229-71) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in asystem for validating a mailing piece such as a letter, proxy or ballot,by postal certification of time of mailing and receiving and it is amongthe objects thereof to apply the postage direct to the letter or othercontents of a mailing envelope and expose the same for cancellationthrough an Open window in the envelope.

Most business transactions are conducted by use of the mails; notablynegotiations for the sale and purchase of goods and property becauseproof of mailing a letter creates the presumption that it was receivedby the addressee and the acceptance of a proposal made through the mailsby a reply by mail is a legally binding contract. Another common andimportant use of the mails is to send out and receive voting proxiesfrom stockholders of corporations. Proof of mailing and acceptance ofproposals to establish existence of contractual relations or theauthenticity of a voting proxy may be of great importance and legalsignificance.

The present invention deals with a more or less automatic orself-certifying mailing device which prima facie establishes mailingtime of the original piece of mail and its return.

The invention will become more apparent from a consideration of theaccomapnying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like referencecharacters designate like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a piece of mail such as a letter or proxy;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the mail of FIG- URE 1 folded forinsertion in an envelope; and,

FIGURE 3 is a view of the mailing piece of FIGURE 1 folded in adifferent manner for returning the same in a second envelope.

In the drawings, the mailing piece of FIGURE 1 is folded to consist ofthree sections A, B and C by folding along the lines a and b. Thesection A is provided with the addressees name, street number, city andstate or other mailing designation. The body portion B is for themessage and the body portion C is provided with the senders returnaddress and other nomenclature by way of instructions, etc. Besides theaddress in the area A, it is provided with a postage stamp or mailingpermit designated by the numeral and the area C is likewise providedwith a postage stamp or mailing permit 20.

There are two envelopes provided for mailing a letter or mailing pieceof FIGURE 1; an envelope 30, FIGURE 2, and an envelope 40, FIGURE 3. Byfolding the contents or mailing piece, as shown at the top of FIGURE 2,with the addressees name and address exposed, as shown, and inserting ittogether with the envelope in the envelope 30, the addressees name andaddress will be exposed through the glassine window and the postagestamp or permit 10 will be exposed through the open or uncovered windowin the upper righthand corner of envelope 30. The senders name andaddress is printed te States Patet ice in the upper lefthand corner ofthe envelope 30, as shown at 70, FIGURE 2. When the envelope 30 isclosed and sealed and sent through the mail, the post oliice will cancelout the mailing postage or mailing permit by stamping it through theopen window 60, as shown by the curved lines in the upper part of FIGURE2. When the addressee receives the mail and opens envelope 30, he willwithdraw the mailing piece of FIGURE 1 and open it, as shown in FIGURE1, read its contents and if it is a proxy, he will sign it. He will thenreturn it by folding it for insertion in envelope 40 which has an openwindow for exposing the postage or mailing permit 20 and a glassinecovered window through which the senders name and address is visible. Byfolding the mailing piece of FIGURE 1 in the manner shown in the upperportion of FIGURE 3 and inserting the same in enveolpe 40, it is readyfor mailing when the flap is sealed and when received by the post officethe postage or mailing permit will be cancelled, as shown by the wavylines in the upper part of FIGURE 3.

The result of handling of the mailing piece with the envelopes asprovided herein will produce a certification of the time of mailing theoriginal piece by the sender to the addressee and the time of mailing bythe addressee to the original sender with the result that when it isreceived by the sender it has the postal stamp with the mailing date ontwo portions of the mailing piece; namely, the portion A and the portionC.

In the case of using the two-envelope system of mailing the same pieceas proxies by mail, it would be impossible to slip in forged proxiesbecause of the validation needed through the application of thecancellation stamp to the postage or mailing permit on two separateareas of the proxy; namely, the A and C areas with the signatureappearing therebetween in the B area.

It is of course evident that the method of validating mail by postalcertification may be suited for balloting absentee or other votes ifadopted for that purpose.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated anddescribed, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. The combination with a mailing piece having postage applied thereon,of a pair of envelopes each having an open window located to expose thepostage for cancellation by the postal authorities, said mailing piecehaving the addressees name and address in one area and the senders nameand address in another area to which areas separate postage is appliedso that when inserted in one envelope with an open window for exposingthe postage, the addressees name and address will appear through awindow in the envelope and by inserting the mailing piece another way inthe other envelope the senders name and address will appear through awindow of that envelope and the postage will be exposed through the openwindow of said envelope.

2. The combination with a mailing piece having postage applied thereon,of a pair of envelopes each having an open window located to expose thepostage for cancellation by the postal authorities, said mailing piecehaving the addressees name and address in one area and the senders nameand address in another area to which areas separate postage is appliedso that when inserted in one envelope with an open window for exposingthe postage, the addressees name and address will appear through aglassine window in the envelope and by inserting the mailing pieceanother way in the other envelope the senders name and address willappear through a glassine window of that envelope and the postage willbe exposed through the open window of said envelope.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE O.RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, JOSEPH R. LECLAIR,

Examiners.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A MAILING PIECE HAVING POSTAGE APPLIED THEREON,OF A PAIR OF ENVELOPES EACH HAVING AN OPEN WINDOW LOCATED TO EXPOSE THEPOSTAGE FOR CANCELLATION BY THE POSTAL AUTHORITIES, SAID MAILING PIECEHAVING THE ADDRESSEES'' NAME AND ADDRESS IN ONE AREA AND THE SENDER''SNAME AND ADDRESS IN ANOTHER AREA TO WHICH AREAS SEPARATE POSTAGE ISAPPLIED SO THAT WHEN INSERTED IN ONE ENVELOPE WITH AN OPEN WINDOW FOREXPOSING THE POSTAGE, THE ADDRESSEES'' NAME AND ADDRESS WILL APPEARTHROUGH A WINDOW IN THE ENVELOPE AND BY INSERTING THE MAILING PIECEANOTHER WAY IN THE OTHER ENVELOPE THE SENDER''S NAME AND ADDRESS WILLAPPEAR THROUGH A WINDOW OF THAT ENVELOPE AND THE POSTAGE WILL BE EXPOSEDTHROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW OF SAID ENVELOPE.